Home Affairs Expands Smart ID Access to Naturalised Citizens and Permanent Residents
- The South African Department of Home Affairs expanded Smart ID card eligibility to include naturalised citizens and permanent residents
- Naturalised citizens were previously locked out of the Smart ID system and forced to rely on the older green bar-coded ID book
- The change unlocks access for over 1.4 million people, with applications now open through eHomeAffairs and bank branches
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The South African Department of Home Affairs has widened the door to Smart ID cards, extending eligibility beyond natural-born citizens for the first time. The move follows significant upgrades to the department's IT systems and now formally includes naturalised citizens and lawful permanent residents in the national identity framework.
Who qualifies for a Smart ID
South Africans by birth have long been able to apply for the Smart ID card, which was introduced to phase out the green bar-coded ID book and reduce document fraud. However, two groups were historically left behind.
Naturalised citizens, meaning those born abroad who went through the formal citizenship process, were shut out of the Smart ID system due to technical constraints and had no choice but to keep using the older green ID book. Since May 2025, that has changed. They can now apply for a Smart ID through the eHomeAffairs online portal or at any live-capture Home Affairs branch.
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Lawful permanent residents also now qualify. While holding permanent residence does not amount to citizenship, the Department has brought this group into the same national identity structure.
What the expansion means in practice
According to Home Affairs, the policy shift unlocks Smart ID access for more than 1.4 million naturalised citizens and permanent residents across the country. It also pushes forward the broader effort to retire the green bar-coded ID book entirely, a document long flagged as vulnerable to forgery.
Applications can be submitted through three channels: the eHomeAffairs digital portal, in-person at live-capture Home Affairs branches, or at participating bank branch partners. The inclusion of banking partners is intended to ease pressure on Home Affairs offices and give applicants more convenient options.
For many naturalised South Africans who have waited years for the same access granted to those born in the country, the update marks a meaningful shift in how the system recognises their status.
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More on SA immigration and visas
- Briefly News recently reported on the 42 countries whose citizens can enter the US without a visa, and why African passport holders are left out of the programme entirely.
- The US confirmed a group of South Africans remains its top refugee resettlement priority, even as entry rules tighten elsewhere.
- A South African abroad who broke down what life is really like on a work visa programme that's sparked heated online debate.
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Source: Briefly News
